An emu wandering on Florida’s Polk Parkway was returned to its owners after state troopers guided it into a Road Ranger vehicle on September 19.
Patch and the Tampa Free Press, both citing the Florida Highway Patrol, reported that troopers were called around 8:30 a.m. to State Road 570 near mile marker 16. The bird stayed in the vehicle until its owners collected it. No injuries were reported.
The accounts do not explain how the emu reached the highway or identify its owners.
What a Road Ranger does
The Florida Department of Transportation describes Road Rangers as a highway service patrol providing incident response and limited free assistance to motorists. Their regular work includes clearing debris or disabled vehicles from travel lanes and helping stranded drivers.
FDOT lists *347 for motorists who need roadway assistance. Its guidance says to call 911 immediately when experiencing or witnessing an emergency. The department’s Road Ranger page also links to a map of coverage areas and operating hours.
Sources
How we reported this: Both local reports attribute the incident to FHP, so they share one official account. FDOT’s own page supplies the separate explanation of the service and its assistance numbers.
